The Ties That Bind
by Reno'sDemon
Summary: A new neighbor moves in across the street and already, she's turning heads. As a racer, she quickly becomes part of the team. But when her past catches up to her, she uses the Honda she ahd won from Tran and enlists his help. From there, she ends up forging a bond as well as mending one that had long since been broken. little Vince, mainly Tran
1. Chapter 1

A new neighbor moves in across from the Fort and already, she's causing a stir among the single males. She's hot and a racer to boot. In quick order, she becomes a part of Team Toretto, gaining things she never had, family, friends, even a lover. Then Kira's past comes calling. Tired of running, she stands and fights. Using Tran's Honda she had won in Race Wars, they enlist the help of Johnny Tran and his crew. From there, Kira ends up mending a relationship that had long since been broken as she forges one truer than the one she had before. Tran /OFC Some Vince/ OFC

* * *

Chapter 1

Directing the trailer that contained my car and bike carefully into the spot next to the garage with my gleaming red Chevy Silverado, I shut it down and sighed.

"Home sweet home. At least for a while, huh girl?" Yeah, I talked to the truck. It's what happens when you have no one else to talk to, especially for a long time. You end up talking to inanimate objects. But this truck has been everywhere with me, especially as I tried to run from my past and the trouble I was trying to avoid. I had one hell of a past and I didn't want to get into it. It was nothing illegal though. Just family problems. Major family problems.

Maybe I should tell you who I am before this particular story begins. My name's Kira, Kira Santoro. I'm a 22-year-old adrenaline junkie. And to get my adrenaline fix, I race. Not NASCAR race, street race.

American by birth, I could easily be mistaken for Hispanic since my mother was Spanish. Or so I was told anyway. I never knew her, having been put up for adoption as soon as I was born. Due to my tendency to get into fights, I was often bounced from one foster home to another until finally I was placed with a family whose biological son street raced in secret. I had caught him at it and instead of telling his parents, had blackmailed him into teaching me. Not pleased at being blackmailed, he had agreed anyway, first teaching me about cars since I had been so young. When it got to the point where I was able to sneak out, he would take me with him and I learned about the underground race world. In the midst of fast cars, loud music, hot guys, and beautiful women, I finally found my niche. I was a street racer. I felt like I belonged, like I was finally home. Amid the street crowd, I became everybody's little sister and I absorbed knowledge like a sponge, learning everything I could. At sixteen, he taught me how to drive and at night he'd teach me how to street race. Everything was perfect after that. Together, the both of us pulled in enough money to send us both to college.

Then came that fateful night I found out my adoptive brother was dealing in things on the side besides racing. Without any of us knowing, he had been dealing in drugs. He ended up royally screwing up a run and in retaliation, his drug boss had come after his family, murdering his parents and wounding me. He had gotten there in time to save me only to sacrifice his life in helping me to get away. The car I carried in the trailer had been his. A Mitsubishi Eclipse. She had been the fastest thing in Miami until I had been forced to run. For years, I've been running from place to place, trying to keep one step ahead of that boss and his lackies, to keep my skin intact. To him, I knew I was a loose end and he was coming after me to take care of that loose end. I still raced, if only to keep gas in all three tanks and keep the triple set of wheels running.

Even now, the Eclipse needed work done. They had almost caught me and Reaper had paid the price. They had tried to t-bone me and she now needed serious cosmetic work. I was here in LA to attempt to get up enough cash to fix the damage. For now, I would rely on my Yamaha and see if I could find anything interesting.

Even though I hadn't wanted to tell you my complete story, I guess I did anyway. And I lied, it had been illegal, but none of it was my doing. I know street racing is illegal, but there are worse ways to acquire money.

With another sigh, I place my ruby tinted wraparound sunglasses on my nose and climb out of the truck. Engines catch my attention and I look up the street in time to see five cars I _know_ are street racers pull into the driveway across from me. RX- 7 in the lead, three I'm not familiar with and a Jetta brings up the rear. Not a bad bunch. Going to the trailer and the door in the side, I maneuver my bike into the open. Before I shut the door, I reach inside and retrieved my helmet. Guiding Diablo to the driveway, I fix my helmet in place before mounting her. Dimly, I hear a wolf whistle and know I've caught somebody's attention across the street. Out of the corner of my eye, I catch the scruffy looking male that had emerged from the blue car watching me. I crank Diablo and let her roar. The rest of them turn to check out the source of the noise. Easing off the brake, I let her roll down the driveway to the street. Once into the street, I peeled out, just to show off, pulling a wheelie as I did. With Diablo, I liked to show off for the guys.

Seeing the mystery hottie peel out, pulling a wheelie as she did, Vince swore. "Damn! Did you see that?"

"When did the Kanes move out?" Jesse asked, curious.

"Evidently when we weren't paying attention." Leon replied. "She was hot."

Vince bumped fists with him. "I know that's right."

With his arm around Letty, Dom looked over the three males, knowing two of which were thinking the same thing. _Mine._ He wasn't completely sure if Jesse was thinking along the same lines or not. The kid could be hard to read sometimes.

He wondered if the new neighbor knew what she was getting into tempting these three. He'd have to invite her over and see what happens.

* * *

And here's my second complete FF fic. I think it's pretty good. Let me know what you guys think.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

After cruising around town for a bit to learn the layout, I return home to find the bodybuilder male who had driven the RX- 7 waiting. Curious, I pulled Diablo up in the driveway and removed my helmet.

"Can I help you?"

"Just thought I'm come introduce myself and welcome you to the neighborhood." He replied easily pushing himself away from the wooden rail and coming over. "Dominic Toretto. Friends call me Dom."

I took the offered hand. "Kira, Kira Santoro. Moved here from Miami."

He jerked his thumb to the house across the street. "Want to come over? Sort of meet the rest of the crew, make some friends?"

I smiled. "I'd love to. Thank you." Leaving Diablo in the driveway as I was certain I would hear her engine if someone tried to ride off with her, I followed Dom across the street. "You guys race?" He looked at me. "The cars just look like racers, is all. I race some myself."

"With that?" He jerked a thumb over his shoulder to indicate Diablo.

"Sometimes. I've got an Eclipse in the trailer that needs some cosmetic work." I reply.

"What's wrong with it?"

"Got t-boned by a goddamned Suburban." I growl softly.

He winced. "Damn. If you've got the cash, it can be fixed. I run a garage in town and you're welcome to use it." He offered as we walked into the backyard where a barbeque looked to be underway. I immediately balked. A pretty brunette woman walked out of the house with a bowl of chicken salad. Seeing me standing next to Dom, she smiled.

"Leave it to Dom to reel in the new neighbor."

"Kira, this is my sister Mia. Mia, this is Kira." Dom introduced us and headed to the grill.

I offered a smile. "Hey."

Noticing I had balked, she offered a reassuring smile. "It's quite alright Kira. You're more than welcome here."

"I don't want to be a nuisance."

"If I invite you, you're not a nuisance." Dom grinned from the grill. "The rest are gone for the moment, getting stuff. Come over here." I went to stand near him as Mia went about getting more things from inside the house to put on the table. "You said you raced. How long have you been racing?"

"Since I was sixteen. About 7 years since I'm 22 now. Adoptive brother got me into it and it went from there." I replied.

"You also mentioned your car was damaged. You got the cash to repair it?"

I shook my head. "I was hoping to have some luck with Diablo, that's my bike, until I had won enough to repair the damages to the Eclipse."

"You were right, we do race. All of us except for Mia as she's still in school. And there just so happens that there's a race tonight. You want to ride with us?" I hesitated. "You ride with us and we'll do what we can to help you fix your ride."

I rubbed the back of my neck. "I don't know if you guys want to really get involved with me Dom." I said softly.

He eyed me. "You involved in something illegal?"

"Not me. My adoptive brother." I said softly.

"What'd he do?"

"Ran drugs."

"Want to talk about it?"

"It's a long story." I told him.

"We've got time before the rest show up." He replied and I told him basically the same thing I told you guys. "So your brother was drug runner who screwed up a run and now his boss is after you?"

I nodded. "I've been running for years Dom, just trying to keep my skin intact. The last time they came close to catching me, Reaper paid the price."

"Reaper?"

"My Eclipse. It was actually my brother's, but he made me escape with it. I've been running from place to place, running what races I can to keep all three sets of wheels in working order, while trying to keep ahead of them." I told him.

"As you'll learn, each of the crew has their own problems. Except for Mia. Myself, I was in LOMPOC for two years and I won't go back." He explained. "If you want to stick around with us, we'll watch your back. You were just an innocent bystander in your brother's problems and we'll protect you from them when they do show up. You let the rest know your story and you'll see that. Go get a plate from Mia for these burgers. They're about done. And bring me a beer if you don't mind. If you want one, feel free."

"Sure." I head inside and immediately find Mia who's slicing up tomatoes for the burgers. "Dom needs a plate."

With the knife, she pointed to a cabinet. "Did Dom invite you to the race tonight?"

I reached for a plate. "Yeah. He wants me to join the crew."

"If you want to, that's your choice Kira. You'll find that we may look like a rag tag group, but we're family. A family that will have each other's backs."

"Right now, I need a family." I comment, going into the fridge and retrieving two Coronas and heading back out to Dom in time to hear engines. I put the plate down on the table nearby and with the bottle opener from my keychain, open both beers.

"Thanks." Flipping burgers onto the plate with one hand, he points to the rest of the crew as they appear with a finger from the one holding the beer. "There's Letty, Leon, Vince, and Jesse. Guys, this is Kira Santoro from across the street."

"That your bike?" Leon asks, still staring at Diablo.

"Got an Eclipse in the trailer." I reply with a grin. "You guys wanna see?" I was perhaps a bit too eager to show off my ride. It didn't matter if she was busted. I wanted to show her off. I guess it was the pride of owning a ride like her that demanded it.

Dom looked down at me. "Even though it's all messed up?"

"If a guy wants to admire a ride, I'm gonna let him." I reply. "They're gonna see her anyway when I bring her into the garage."

He laughs as Letty walks up to him. I clearly read the message she was sending me. Back off. She was claiming Dom and I would do well to stay away from him in terms of a relationship. Which was fine by me. I'd only just met him. Besides, with my lifestyle of running, I wasn't looking for a relationship. "Go ahead. Just don't take too long."

After giving Letty a subtle nod to let her know I had gotten the message, I race across the street with Leon on my heels and Vince and Jesse following. "If she was in working order, I'd probably smoke that Jetta of yours." I toss over my shoulder at Jesse.

"I highly doubt that." He calls back.

"What's wrong with it?" Leon asks.

"Got t-boned." I replied, unlocking the back door and throwing them open to reveal the mess that was my beloved Eclipse.

Jesse and Leon wince. "Ouch."

"You got the cash to fix it?" Vince asks.

"Not at the moment. I'm going to see about running a few races with Diablo, my bike, to earn enough to fix her. Dom asked me if I wanted to run with you guys, but I dunno." I shook my head. "I've got a pretty nasty history and if I don't watch my back, it's going to bite me in the ass."

"You running from the feds or something?" Leon asked, curious.

"Something like that. But it was because of nothing I did. My adoptive brother got caught up in running illegal drugs and screwed up a run. The drug boss came after him and the family I was fostering with. They had killed our parents and were working on me when he showed up. He gave me the keys to the Eclipse and had me run for it. I've been running ever since." I looked at the damage to Reaper, remembering the wounds I had endured that night. I had scars across my stomach and it made me self-conscious to wear bikinis during the summer. "They almost caught up with me at the last stop. It's why Reaper looks the way she does. They tried to t-bone me."

"How long have you been running?" Leon asked.

"Couple years." I reply, popping the hood.

"Does Dom know?" Jesse asked as all three of them looked the engine over.

I nodded. "Told him first off. He still thinks it's a good idea I join the crew."

"How much has you and your brother put into this?" Leon asked.

"About ten- fifteen grand, I think. Not sure." I told him, rubbing the back of my neck wearily. "I need to upgrade some parts as they're outdated."

"If Dom thinks you should run with us, even after knowing what you've told him, you should run. We'll have your back whatever happens." Leon told me as a whistle pierces the evening air from across the street. "That's Dom, calling us back. Come on." Putting a friendly arm around my shoulders Leon guides me back across the street.

"Finally. I'm starving." Vince rumbles.

Leon pushes Vince. "You're always hungry." He leans closer to whisper in my ear. "That's why we call him Coyote."

I realized I was going to like running with Dom's gang.

* * *

He watched her as she talked and joked with Leon, Jesse, and Vince. Since her own ride was out of commission, she had ridden with Leon to the race.

"Kira!" She looked over at him in time to catch the keys out of the air. She looked at them, then at the RX- 7, than at him. "You can't race if you don't have a ride. Let's see what you can do."

She grins happily. "You got it." She turns to the three and brandishes the keys.

"Go get 'em." He hears Vince encourage. She races over to his car and easily slips inside. A flick of her wrist and the powerful engine is gently purring. She places her hands on the wheel and closes her eyes. A hand goes down to rest of the gearshift and he knows she's familiarizing herself with the car. Leaning in the passenger window, he pulls up the passenger seat, revealing the four small Nos bottles, letting her know where they were and showed her how to prepare it before pointing to the trigger hidden in the center dash.

"This car will beat anything here, as long as you know how to shift her." He told her. "You got it?" She nodded. There's a hard look in her blue eyes as her hands firmly grip the wheel and gearshift and he knows she's ready to race. "Show them what you've got."

The racers lined up and the signal given. All four fly off the mark and he notices Kira had shifted a little too late, allowing the other three to get ahead but the next shifts are perfect and she easily gains on her opponents. By the way she had talked about racing, she knew what she was doing and here he was being proven right. Like he expected, she hit the Nos at the right time and flew ahead of the other three, sending her across the finish line ahead of the others by a nose. She jerks the hand brake and sends the car into a sideways slide, stopping easily before the crowd. He smiles. Show off. At least she knew to show off after a race and not during.

"You missed the first shift." He told her as him and Letty came up to her.

"Yeah, I know. That first shift told me where the perfect shift was." She handed back the keys. "That was fun." She looked over at Vince. "I get to play with the Maxima next time." Before Vince could reply, Leon was shouting the alarm and everybody scattered for their cars and peeled out before they were caught.

"Vince! You've got Kira." He told the other and with a nod, Vince raced toward his ride with Kira on his heels. It was good knowing she wouldn't freeze in the face of danger. The two slipped inside and were gone in under a minute. He trusted Vince to keep her safe and get them back to the Fort.

* * *

I realize that the main character shouldn't reveal their past right off like I do, but for some reason, I have yet to figure out who to delay that. AS I get better as an author, I'll eventually figure out how to do that.

And as a head's up, this may a bit loose in places and I've tried not to make it so.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"You alright?" Vince asked softly, breathing slightly rushed from the adrenaline and chase. We had found shelter under a bridge not two minute ago.

"Yeah. We gonna wait 'em out?" I replied.

He nodded, warily watching the entry point in his rearview. "We'll have to."

"This happen often?"

"Not very often, but it does happen."

"I hope Dom and the others are alright." I huddled there, trying to keep my fear at bay.

"They'll be fine." I noticed him watching me. "You sure you're alright?"

I nodded. "Little scared but I'll be fine." I assured him. I gave a slight start when he reached across the car and took my hand. The warmth and strength I felt in his grip calmed me a bit.

"Dom trusts me to keep you safe and I won't let anything happen to you." His voice is soft and it soothes my nerves further.

"Thanks Vince."

"Did you have fun?"

At that, I smile at him. "Hell yeah. I'm an adrenaline junkie and racing cars is my rush." I leaned back against the seat. "The first time he took me to a race, I felt like I finally belonged. Since I was a kid, I never felt like I truly belonged anywhere, but that night, I felt like I had finally come home."

"What happened to your real parents?"

I shrugged. "Dunno. As soon as I was born, my mother put me up for adoption and due to my inability to fit anywhere, I constantly got into fights, which caused them to move me from place to place. Finally I end up with this one family and learn my foster brother was racing cars secretly at night. Instead of telling his parents, I get him to teach me to race instead and since I was so young, he taught me my way around a car. When I tuned sixteen, he taught me to drive."

"What about your dad?"

"Don't know him."

"Do you ever want to know about your parents?"

"I'm happy not knowing." I replied. "Shit, I don't even know where to start if I ever did want to."

"Who named you?"

"The first family I was adopted out to." I told him. I jumped two seconds later when a crackling sound came from somewhere between us.

Grinning at me, he released my hand long enough to pick up a walkie-talkie unit from the cup holder and transfer it to his other hand before taking my hand again. "Its just Dom, checking in." He told me. "Yeah?"

"Where are you and Kira?" Came Dom's voice and Vince gave him our location. "Everybody's here at the Fort except for you two."

"We had a little trouble and we're waiting for it to cool down before we head home." Vince assured him.

"How's Kira?"

Vince smiled at me, giving my hand a little squeeze. "She's fine."

"As soon as it looks safe, pick up our the winnings from Hector and head for the Fort." Dom told him.

"You got it." He set the unit on the dash and it slid down to the windshield. "Let's go see if the coast is clear."

"You think everything will had calmed down by now?" I asked as we got out of the car and made our way to the road.

"At least enough where we can make it back to the Fort without getting hassled." He replied, steadying me as I slipped on a rock. "You alright?" I nodded and kept my eyes on the ground, choosing my footing. We finally made it to the road and we looked both ways as far as we could. The sound of sirens seemed to have died down. "It looks clear, let's get out of here." He stayed ahead of me and steadied me when I slipped. When we got back to the car, he handed me the keys. "You want to run with my car, you're going to learn how it runs. Just don't mess it up." There's a glint in his eyes and I knew he's teasing me.

I pushed him. "You saw how I ran Dom's RX- 7!" He laughed as we got into the car. There was no further incident as we collected our winnings and made it back to the Fort only to find a good portion of the street packed with street racers. "Holy shit. Talk about Party Central."

Vince grinned as I pulled the Maxima into the driveway and shut it down. "The Fort is the after race party spot. Come on."

We headed inside and my ears were bombarded with loud music. I followed behind Vince as he led me through the house where Dom and Letty were moving to the music. Seeing us over Letty's shoulder, he said something to her and let her keep dancing as he came over to us. I happily brandished the wad of cash and Dom took it from me.

"Part of this goes to repairing your car. If you're going to race for me, you need to get out of everybody else's rides and back into your own."

"You just wanna see what she can do." I grinned at him. "As much as I enjoyed running the RX- 7, it'll be good to get back in Reaper."

"I look forward to seeing what you can do in your own. Go have fun, you earned it." Pocketing the money, he returned to Letty. Finding a couple girls had hijacked Vince's attention, I grabbed a beer from the kitchen and headed to where I had seen Jesse in the living room playing the playstation and plopped down beside him.

"Your first shift was off." He commented as I picked up the second controller and he started a two-player game..

"I was learning the perfect shift, the rest of them were spot on." I reply.

He nodded. "How'd you like getting chased by the cops?"

"The race was hella fun, while the aftermath… not so much."

"Get used to it, it happens when you're racing."

"Yeah, I know. The guys who chase me make the cops look fluffy."

"They that dangerous?" Jesse actually sounded worried.

"Danger with a capital D, cuz." I told him. "I'm not about to end up dead for something I didn't do."

After a few races, Leon comes up to me. "You dance any?" I could tell he was slightly drunk.

I shook my head. "Don't know how to."

He offered me a hand. "I'll teach you. You hang with us, you gotta know how to dance."

I look at Jesse. "He won't bite, Kira, go on. We'll play some more later." Finishing my beer, knowing I'd need the fortification it supplied not to make a fool out of myself, I took Leon's hand and let him help me up and to the dance floor where Dom and Letty were still grooving. Though it looked more like they were making out than dancing.

Once we reached a spot, Leon turned me around until my back was to him. His hands went on my hips. "The first thing you gotta do is relax a bit, feel the music." He whispered in my ear. "Watch Letty."

"They're doing anything but dancing." I retort, pitching my voice so they could hear since they were nearby. "Get a room!" They break apart from a heated kiss and look over at me. Dom laughs and they resume dancing. In my ear, I hear Leon laugh.

"Close your eyes and just feel the music." I feel him press himself against my back and I feel him move. "Follow my lead." Closing my eyes, I listen to the music and feel the rhythm he had set. After a moment, I catch on and begin to move with him. I feel his hands tighten on my hips and tug me a little closer. "That's it, baby girl, feel the music. Let go." His voice is encouraging in my ear and I gain confidence, loosening up further. He changes the rhythm and I quickly catch on, actually push myself more fully against him. I get so into the music, I almost miss his hand as it leaves my waist and travels upwards. I wouldn't mind it, but he was starting to hitch up my shirt along with it. Even though I wanted so bad to keep dancing with Leon, I had to stop him.

I put my hand over his, keeping it from advancing further. "Leo, stop."

"What's the matter Kira? I bet you got a sexy stomach." He tried to lift my shirt again and I put a bit of strength into my arm.

"Remember what I told you?" I asked.

"'bout what?" He hummed in my ear.

"About how my foster brother botched a drug run and how him and his parents paid the price." I reminded him.

"What about it?" I felt him nuzzle my neck.

"Before he showed up to save my ass, they were working on me. I've got scars on my stomach from them."

"They can't be all that noticeable." He commented.

"I'm still self conscious about it." I told him.

He placed a kiss to my neck. "Alright. I won't bug you about 'em. Can we keep dancing?"

"As long as you don't try to lift my shirt again." I reply.

"Fair 'nough." He releases the hem of my shirt and places it over my stomach. To make sure his hand didn't stray, I kept mine over his. He takes my other hand and brings it up to wrap around his neck before placing it back on my hip. I realize the position allows for greater freedom in movement, as he begins to move more fluidly and I easily follow.

* * *

Dom smirked as he watched the two. Throughout the party, he had kept an eye on the new girl. Upon discovering Vince had abandoned her for a couple of his usual girls, she had grabbed a beer and sought out Jesse where the two had quickly struck up a conversation while they played the game. The next time he had gone looking for her, he had found her dancing with Leon. Now, he found her outside perched on the hood of Vince's Maxima as he leaned against Jesse's Jetta and the two talked. He spotted a guitar leaning on the hood next to her and knew it was hers since he had seen Vince's not two seconds ago.

He knew the minute Letty approached. All day, she had been wary of the other female. Turning slightly, he wrapped an arm around her waist and held her to his side.

"What is it with you? You've been watching her all damn day." Letty growled, miffed. Yeah, she was in a mood. Luckily for him, he knew how to make it up to her and then some.

"Just keeping an eye on her. Whether she knows it or not, she needs us more than she realizes. She's been running from something that she had no hand in. Her adoptive brother messed up a drug run years ago and the boss' goons are still after her. You saw what her car looked like when we brought it into the garage. They did that to her as they were trying to kill her. There's no need for an innocent to be killed for something they didn't do. Kira needs family who will have her back, friends who won't let her down."

"Bringing her into the group is asking for trouble." Letty protested softly.

"Trouble she's innocent in causing. Drug lords are a bit like the mafia, they don't like to leave loose ends hanging around." He reminded her gently. "To them, Kira is a loose end, even when her brother sacrificed his life to save hers. She's the only one alive and they will do whatever they can to see her dead. She's been running, with no real home, and no real friends, for years. She's been having to survive on her own for years just trying to keep her distance from them. She knows, as do the rest of us, that there will be a day when she can no longer run and hide. She will have to stand and fight if she wants to be truly free. You see how she interacts with the rest. Jesse, Leon and Vince already accept her as part of the team and I'm sure both Leon and Vince will not hesitate to have her back when that day comes. From what I'm seeing, Vince more than the rest of us. I don't think he'll let her run if she wanted to. He'll force her to face them just to keep her on the team and with him."

"How do you know that? We only just met her today." She asked, curious, and he noted that there were no hostile tones in her voice. He had curbed her anger for now.

"Just by the way she interacts with them. She's had the longest time with Vince and whether or not they both know it, she's had an effect on him. He hasn't been as frisky with his usual girls as he had been before she arrived. His mind seems to be elsewhere around the girls and something tells me Kira is on his mind, whether he wants to admit it or not." He gave her a gentle squeeze. "Give it a few weeks and you'll see something start to happen. Right now, I've got some butt kissing to do." With that, he drew her upstairs.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

The next few weeks passed in a blur. Putting Diablo in the garage at the house with Dom's Charger to keep anybody from stealing it while we were gone, I usually rode with Vince to the garage. Slowly but surely, Reaper was coming together, her damages repaired, and I couldn't wait for the day when I would be able to ride her again. Sure, running with Dom's RX- 7 and Vince's Maxima was fun, but I missed my baby. By day, I would help in the garage with whatever jobs that had to be done or I would help Mia in the other part when customers got too heavy. By night, I would either race or just hang with the guys, playing games or watching movies. It didn't take Dom long to figure out I slept in my truck (the first night actually) and he made me take the spare bedroom. Which was actually quite nice. It's been years since I had slept in a bed. After the first few days, Letty actually became friendly. Her and Mia were becoming like sisters to me. I was beginning to notice I spent more time with Vince than I did with Leon or Jesse and I couldn't figure out why. Sure, he was a good looking guy, and while that muscled arm wrapped around me while all of us watched a movie made me feel safe, I didn't want to become too attached. Sure, I cared for all of them like the family I never really had, but the falling in love kind of attached. I didn't want to break his heart when I ran again. That would be cruel for both of us. I just wasn't going to do it. Leaving them would break my heart anyway when I had to run.

Currently, I was in the garage helping Jesse with a diagnostics test on an old Toyota Corolla when a phone rings. It takes but a minute for me to orient on the phone before Dom is answering it. I return to helping Jesse try to figure out what was wrong with the engine.

"Kira!" Dom calls and I jerk up to look at him.

"Sup."

"Harry just called. The rest of the parts are in for Reaper."

"Finally!" I do a little happy dance, excited. Letty, Leon and Jesse either laugh at me or with me, I wasn't sure which and I didn't really care.

"Vince!" Vince pops out from under a Chevy. "Take Kira to get her truck and help her get the rest of Reaper's parts from Harry's."

"Got it." He nimbly jumps up and wipes his hands on a rag. An arm goes around my waist and the keys to the Maxima pop up into the air in front of me. I deftly snatch them out of the air. "Gonna be a bummer when you can't run the Maxima anymore, huh?" He grinned, knowing how I liked to drive it.

"I miss my baby, but if I ever feel like running the Maxima, all I gotta do it steal your keys." I grin back and race toward his car, the excitement of finally being able to drive Reaper making me happily giddy and extra playful. A laugh and he's chasing after me.

"Once she's repaired, I know a place we can go. You can run against my Maxima to your heart's content without the worry of cops." He told me as we slid into the car.

"Really? Where?"

"You've heard us talking about Race Wars, right?"

"Yeah, it's like this big race event out in the desert that lasts about a day or so. I've been hearing about it for a while. Where is it held?"

"An old government base out in Arizona's desert. It's like a once a year thing, but we can get the area for a day or so outside of that yearly timeframe to help tune our own rides. Once Reaper is completely repaired, I'll talk to Dom about it."

"Sweet." I grinned happily.

"And most likely, Dom will want you to race in Race Wars." He knew that announcement would make me deliriously happy.

I whooped. Race Wars was the place to be for street racers. Like Las Vegas was America's Playground for gamblers, Race Wars was the playground for racers. I had wanted to go forever, but didn't think Reaper could cut it with the rest. After all, I knew there were parts in her engine that were outdated and would need to be replaced. Plus, I just wanted to see if I could get any more power out of her. Sure, she hadn't lost a race yet, but Race Wars was like the Super Bowl. Only the best of the best played there. Pulling the Maxima into the Fort's driveway, I tossed him his keys as we got out. "Come on old Coyote, let's see if those muscles of yours aren't just for show."

"I'll show you old, brat!" He called and was tearing after me. I nimbly hopped the curb only to trip racing up the short grassy hill to get to my truck, sending me to the ground. He stops before me, only slightly out of breath. "Old my ass!" He offered me a hand and pulled me up.

"How old are you Vince?"

"26. I thought you knew." He replied.

"Yeah, you're old." Dropping, I swept his feet out from under him. Before I could scramble up, he was grabbing my ankle and jerking me back down. The way he jerked caused me to slide toward him so he hovered over me.

"No old Coyote would be able to keep up with you when you roughhouse." He smirked down at me. When we had a free day, me, Jesse, Leon and Vince could often be found roughhousing around in the backyard. Mainly laughing, joking and wrestling like idiots. Even Dom would join in from time to time, even though it'd usually mean one of the guys would tag team him with me.

Taking that as a challenge, I use a burst of strength and flip our positions so I'm sitting on top of him. Using his greater strength, I find myself under him completely. He's holding my hands above my head and a knee is resting between my legs. This new position renders me completely unable to fight back. That smirk is even more prominent now as well as the glint of playful amusement in his eyes. There's also something else I couldn't quite identify, something that turned those brown eyes almost black. Those dark eyes wander down my body, pausing on my chest as he watched me breath. They travel back up to my face and they're actually black.

"You know something?" If it's even possible, his usual rough voice is even rougher, sending a shiver through me.

"What?" I ask softly, almost afraid to know.

"You drive me insane." He softly growled and before I can comprehend that statement, I find lips on mine. Coaxing and gentle, yet rough and possessive. My blood turns into electricity, zapping through my veins, making me acutely aware of him as he hovered above me, supporting his weight on an elbow while the other cups my face. I feel his tongue lightly touch my lower lip, asking for entrance, and as much as I want to deny him, I can't, and I'm parting my lips for him to deepen the kiss. Realizing my hands are now free, I place them on his chest, as if to push him away, but I can't seem to do that either. My brain is shutting down and my body is quickly reacting to him. My hands are moving on their own, gliding up his chest to wrap around his neck, allowing my fingers to tangle in his hair. Getting short of breath, he pulls away. Not knowing when it had happened, I open my eyes and stare up at him. The hand that had cupped my cheek, flips so the backs of his fingers are gently caressing the soft skin.

"I don't know what it is about you, but you make me want you like fucking crazy. Since that first day, there hasn't been a minute where you have not been in my thoughts. No matter how hard I try, I can't get you out of my head. It's driving me nuts." His voice is rough, ragged.

I push myself into a sitting position and he sits back, letting me up. "This isn't a good idea Vince. If I wasn't being chased all over the goddamned US, I wouldn't hesitate. Getting friendly with the gang is bad enough, I don't want to break your heart in the process." I tell him softly, my own voice harsh and ragged.

He caresses my cheek. "I'm not going to let you run, Kira. They come after you, we'll stand and fight. I'm not going to let you leave me. You make me feel different than those racer chasers do and I don't know why. Whatever it is, is demands that I don't let you leave us."

I shook my head, eyes tearing up. "I don't want you guys involved with my problems."

He wiped at my tears. "It's already too late for that baby girl. _Way_ too late. The minute Dom brought you into the family, your problems became ours. All of us: me, Dom, Leon, Jesse, Letty, hell, I think even Mia would back you up. All this time you've been running scared and it's time for that to stop. You need to face them and end this once and for all."

I crawled over to sit in his lap. "I'm terrified Vince."

I feel his strong arms wrap around me and felt him kiss my head. "That's what family and friends are for kitten. Give you the courage to face the things that scare the shit out of you."

"I want this to end, but I'm scared."

"I know you are. We may be a small group, but we'll hurt somebody over family. And since that day, you became part of the family." A hand under my chin lifts my head to look up at him. "We'll never, _ever,_ let you down. No matter what happens, we will always have your back."

I rested my head against his shoulder. "I don't want to be scared anymore Vince."

I feel his arms tighten around me. "I'll keep you safe. You know this Coyote will protect his kitten." He murmurs softly. "Now come on. We've got a car to fix."

Reminder of why we were here in the first place washes over me and I jump up, knowing my face is turning red. "What will Dom say though? I know he's protective of me."

"Basically 'Hurt her and I'll hurt you.' because with Mia, it's 'Break her heart, I'll break your neck.'" He smiled back, putting an arm around my shoulders and holding me close to his side. "Come on. I know you've got stuff in the back of the truck, we'll put it in the trailer since it's empty."

* * *

It was obvious when the two walked in that something had changed between them in the time they had been gone. Dom smirked and leaned closer to Letty.

"Told you." He murmured in her ear.

Concrete proof came later that evening as they watched a movie. While he was on the couch with Letty curled up between his legs, Kira and Vince were in a similar position on the floor as they shared a bowl of popcorn. He knew Kira was thinking about running when those goons came looking for her, but being anchored to Vince, running was now impossible. He wouldn't let her run. He would make her stand and fight.

Maybe Kira was just what the doctor ordered to get Vince's mind off of Mia, since his little sister wasn't going to return the infatuation he had with her.


End file.
